Composition

ウィーンをみにいkたいですか。わたしはしゃしんをみたいですから、りょこのまえにカメラをもっていかなくてはいけません。いまはいかなくてもいいです、はるまでもってください。はやくおきますそれからシュンだいせいどうへいきます。だいせいどうでしゃしんをとったり、タワーにのぼったり、きれいまどをみたりします。それからこうえんをさんぽします。わたしのしゅみはクラシックをきくことですウィーンでコンサートがたくさんありますから、クラシックをならいます。たかいです、がオペラへいくごとができます。しゃしんをもってきてください。

About Communication

At least in the English language, communication must necessarily be distinguished from language. Communication includes all conscious (or in some definitions, even unconscious) information conveyed through the body, including hands, face, and of course the tongue. For our podcast project, we want to effectively communicate so that our audience understands exactly what we're trying to get across. There are many stock expressions we can make use of, even where our language skills fail us. For example, prohibition of particular table manners need not just be correctly using the な form, but should also include indicators with gestures and facial expressions. To this purpose we should also do some limited research on basic Japanese gestures, since these are by no means universal (Greeks shaking their head for yes has baffled plenty of tourists).

As for the linguistic aspect, we must be sure to conform entirely to the Japanese audience's expectations. Translation is indeterminate, and if we aim to be effective, we should write always in Japanese aiming to use the appropriate grammatical structures for our purpose rather than writing a script and English and seeing how well we can translate it. Communication is a complex topic and appropriately is still debated in the realm of philosophy, but for the purposes of this project our aim should be to learn how to communicate through learning the culture. Table manners, my group's topic, is a very precise and important semiotic system within Japanese culture. Part of the challenge of this project will be to communicate explicitly about an implicit system of communication. The interplay between these systems and the responses we get will certainly be interesting, and I expect to learn not only about Japanese language, but communication in general.

いちばん好きな日本のえいが

あきらくろさわはにほんのダイレクタがいちばんすきです。２００９に七人のさむらいをみました。みふね としろうはだんゆうがとてもいいです。らしょもです。えいがのくろさわのなかでらしょもんがいちばんすきです。It is based on 本のあくたがわりゅうのすけにさっつ。らしょもんはらしょもんはおはなし(stories)がしかいありますから、とてもおもしろいです。

ふゆ休み

ふゆやすみはおわりました、そしてわたしはコロンビアへおわりました。ふゆ休みはおわりました、そしてわたしはコロンビアへおわりました。ふゆ休みにほんをよみました。てつがくのてつがくのハイデッガーをべきょうしました。存在と時間 (Being and Time [Sein und Zeit in the original ドイツご])をよみました。とてもおもしろかったですがたのしかったです。かぞくとDCに休みました。びじつかんととしょかんへ行きました。いまだいがくへかえりましたから、とてもいそがしいです。

Poetry

The highest object of a language is its poetry. From what I can tell, Japanese poetry certainly makes learning the language worthwhile, for it is a completely unique tradition which is especially different from the Western poetry. すきです。I want to look more into the tradition as I learn the language. はいくのほんがほしいです。 Preferably with English translations beside the original. I like the idea of shorter imagery poems over the long narratives of the Western tradition. The simple beauty shows how painstakingly well crafted these poems are. Furthermore, I believe that the feelings they invoke relate to 日本のてつがく, with the Zen relationship to nature. Furthermore I've never been able to truly understand English meter, but the formal system of Morae is highly accessible (which is why it is even imitated in English through syllables). ばしょうの おくのほそみちをみたいです, which this blog is named after.

Final Composition

わたしはニューヨークにいます。がいこくにいきます。にほんとドイツへいきます。それからニューヨークへかえります。ベルリンはとてもおもしろいですがニューヨークはベルリンよりにぎやかです。ニューヨークはおおきいですから。きようだいはアメリカにいます。クリスマスにきょうだいにあいます。わたしはてつがくのけんきゅしゃそしてほんをごさつぐらいかきました。えいがはほしですから、いちじかんにえいがかんへえいがをみにいきます。

More Nujabes

Earlier in the year I talked a little about the Japanese Hip Hop producer Nujabes. This week, a new posthumous album has been released called "Spiritual State." Nujabes' jazzy and soulful production is at its best once again. I wonder about the title though, whether spiritual is meant in a Western sense or a traditional Japanese one. It would be interesting to see how Japan has influenced Nujabes, since most of his source material and inspiration comes from Western and specifically American recordings and styles. One piece of information I recently learned though is that Japan is a paradise for record collectors, because there are rare records not usually found in America are common there. Everyone wants to dig in Japan is how it was put to me. Anyway, enjoy this sample of his music:

Nujabes will certainly be getting some airtime on the radio tonight if I have anything to say about it. Check out wkcr.org or 89.9 FM from 1am to 5am to listen to The Hip Hop Show.